Tre Spade

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1908 - 1911

The Marca-Tre-Spade was an Italian automobile manufactured from 1908 until 1911. The four-cylinder ioe 24 hp cars, with four-speed gearboxes, were the product of a well-known gunsmith.

HISTORY OF F. LLI BERTOLDO MAKE THREE SPADE

(Loosly tranlated from Italian) Source

A photo of late nineteenth century tells us the beginning of this story. The portrait of an elegant family group, the parent Mr. Bertoldo, seated in the front row, second from right, with his left, the first Giovanni Battista, the dog and favorite grandchild better. Behind, but rose and the other three children, Second, Delfino and Carlo, all the ladies, dressed in almost identical among themselves and with a fan in hand, to emphasize their position to "wealthy" in front of the grandchildren, or nieces better, since two hold in our hands a beautiful doll. Obviously everyone has brought the most expensive item, the first grandchild performs a wooden Cagnina. At the time of the photos, allegedly taken between 1895 and 1900, the father had for years opened his shop in the village of Sticker oven Rivara (now Furnace Canavese, small town thirty kilometers away from Turin). In the last years of the century, for help in had added four children, who were sent to Terni to learn a trade. Even this "travel training" tells us a picture (No. 5), taken at its Terni and that portrays four young people (plus a friend) posing almost dandy, and with the air of being ready to conquer the world. They return to native country in 1894, with many new ideas and projects. On the experience gained and what they see, give an impetus to the completely different father, transforming from "boite", ie handicraft workshop, in almost industrial activities. Starting with building a new plant and erect the building beside the office (building that still exists for the same function). Christened the new company under the name "Brothers Bertoldo, and provide with new machines that have experienced precisely Terni. These hammers a free fall, replacing the more antiquated hammers head of a donkey. Called "shearwaters", consists of a flying bat raised by a strap and a drum friction. The pieces are then forged and machined products coupled with carpentry, for the production of hammers, pliers, pliers, cutlery, svettatoi, scissors. The refounded "Brothers Bertoldo" decides to open a department of art MENAGER ", and thus with the spread of consumption of coffee, the production of coffee (then commonly called" macinelli coffee ") that invade the market and that set a pace production of 1,000 pieces a day. The brothers are also invent a brand, "Three Swords", marked by three cross swords for the tips, and letters FB in low, which vaguely recalls that the British BSA motorcycle (which it warns them from using the mark but lost the case, because the brothers were able to demonstrate that they had not copied anything). Since the end century onwards, all production of F.lli Bertoldo bearing this mark, in round or oval.

At the beginning of the new century not only the fashion spreads of coffee but also cycling, modern and democratic means of transportation within the reach of nearly all the bags, and that gives people an unexpected freedom of movement. The F.lli Bertoldo, which already manufactures gears, thus beginning the production of parts for bicycles. The next step is obvious: as I had done in France, Peugeot, also manufacturers of coffee and household utensils and kitchen, venture nell'insidioso field of automobile production, which use the brand experience "Three Spade." The year is 1905, as the catalog tells us that the accompanying. The first car was presented with all the honors if they build fifty, maybe one hundred specimens (like frames) but subsequently, between 1906 and 1908, the realization is abandoned in favor of production for the arsenal of increasingly Torino important. Already in 1908 the brothers founded Bertoldo with four other companies the "Piedmont Industrial Group" (based in viale Stupinigi 65 to Torino) for materials and artillery in the pre-produce several artefacts metallurgical and mechanical tools and precision of surgery Parts of trails and Carreggia military, materials engineering, materials rail ... The brothers also agreed to create a foundry in Turin, in Roccavione, for the production of meat grinder.

Are not the only industrial oven Rivara. In 1911 two their brother, Mr Obert and Rolle, founded a company, Giuseppe & C. Obert, specializes in hot steel molding and machining. The company is fine, it zooms by acquiring other workshops and factories of the branch, such as Bartholomew Truchetti of Kiln. It goes so well that at the beginning of the thirties the two brothers identified the brother Bertoldo, who meanwhile was heavy debate in difficulty, and in 1938 the company becomes FACEM, manufacture Articles Household and Metals, of which the first President is appointed John Baptist Rolle. The company still exists, in the same branch and productive in the hands of the same family, employs 120 workers, with a factory in an oven Rivara and a Valperga Canavese. The current President and Chief Executive Officer is the engineer Giovanni Battista Rolle, grandson and namesake of a direct of the two founders.

Until 2003 was in the foundry business Bertoldo di Torino.

To return to the car, of which there is still a frame in the hands of the Rolle family, it was a 16/24 HP engine with four cylinders and valves controlled steel, cooling water, clutch disc, change to four and reverse gears, transmission chain, four brakes (two rear wheel, one on differential, onto a conduit through the right pedal). It was sold as car chassis and tires, to 7,000 lire; tires included a disbursement of 1,000 pounds more. The catalog proposed version carrozzata a double Phaeton, "with hood, lights, hose, bag for the hood, for cassette roof racks and accessories in shiny paint Extrafine" to 11,000 pounds

Why The Disappearance

In the spring of 1908, a crisis now striking over the financial and industrial Italian, but in particular on the car, there are already the first victims. L'Aquila Italiana, in Turin, is in liquidation, the Hermes, in Naples, convened creditors; Piacenza closed the Marchand; in Genoa in liquidation is the Zena and the Flag, which has moved its capital to the Spa Torino. In Florence Nenci the garage is in liquidation, the Serpollet Italiana, Milan, is on leave provisional, the Esperia, Bergamo has a high loss, and Turkheimer (Milan) also, the Florentia reduces its capital, and Fiat , Giant even then, marks seven million pounds loss. Among the few Italian automotive industries reported a small profit is the Isotta Fraschini (9,532 pounds of assets), the Zust of Intra, which closed 1907 with 3074 pounds of profit, the Patent Fiat (Turin), with 10,319 lire. The Itala, while not breathing, prefers to spend profits in 1906 and 1907 in compensation and tear stable reserve. "Seen from far from evil - Mario Morasso writes about NASCAR Cycles & Sports - weighed the bravely damage, there is nothing to despair for the future. All major industries have introduced a new production, have in principle for the inevitable inexperience, required sacrifices by the initiators themselves. On that initial sacrifice has raised its further prosperity. And so will the automotive industry. " Of course, Morasso was right. To succeed in a sea so treacherous to be the great company with great strengths and capital equipment production, while it was destined to fail handicraft production, small family workshop. The brothers Bertoldo realized promptly, and adapted without difficulty, favoring their true production and leaves out dreams of glory too large, in an already crowded field of competitors far more robust.

Source

References

David Burgess Wise, The New Illustrated Encyclopedia of Automobiles.

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